Underwater sampling thermometer



p 9, 1952 c. e. HARRIS UNDERWATER SAMPLING THERMOMETER Filed Jan. 25,1949 CLIFFOR offixw i;

BY Wu e.

I AHorne Patented Sept. 9, 1952 i.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UNDERWATER SAMPLING THERMOMETER Clifford G.Harris, Binghamton, N. Y. Application January 25, 1949, Serial No.72,571

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in thermometers, and moreparticularly to an improved sampling type of thermometer capable of avariety of uses but especially designed for underwater use by fishermenin determining the temperature of the water at various fishing depths.

A principal object of the invention is the provision of a samplingthermometer which may be inexpensively manufactured, which ischaracterized by simple yet rugged construction, which is thoroughlypractical and dependable in use, and which isso designed that it iscapable of withstanding rough usage. 1

Another important object of the invention is the provision ofa samplingthermometer especially designed for use by fishermen in determining thetemperature of the water at the various fishing depths, wherein thethermometer casing is so constructed as to provide a means on and fromwhich the line used in lowering and raising the thermometer may be woundand unwound as required.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel casing fora sampling thermometer incorporating pivoted ears at the ends thereofwhich are capable of movement from a position in which they arecontained substantially within the section of the casing to a spreadposition in which they provide the casing with notched ends and therebyconvert the same for use as a reel or wind-up means for the line used inlowering and raising the thermometer.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a fishingthermometer including means for protecting the thermometer properagainst jars and shocks likely tobe encountered upon the thermometerstriking submerged or bottomrocks and similar obstructions and whichfurther protects the thermometer against fouling in weeds, grasses andthe like.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following detailed description taken with theaccompanying drawing illustrating a preferred physical embodimentthereof, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the improvedsampling thermometer according to the invention ready for lowering, theends ears thereof being shown in their spread position; I

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a part-sectional view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating theupper ears in the position which they assume upon lowering of thethermometer, and further illustrating one of the 2 lower ears in aclosed position which it takes upon engaging a submerged rock and thelike;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fg. 1 but illustrating the lowering andraising cord wound on the thermometer casing; and

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are sections taken on lines 55, 6-45 and 'l-'! of Fig.1.

In the drawings, reference character I0 generally indicates a samplingthermometer asproposed, which is illustratively shown to comprise athermometer casing l I, and a thermometer 12 of the elongated glass tubetype having a mercury bulb which is mounted on and forwardly of ascalel3.

The thermometer casing H may comprise a length of tubing fabricated froma suitable nonrusting material, being provided in its cylindrical walland intermediate its ends with an elongated window or opening I5,through which the thermometer and scale are readily viewable. The casingis closed at its bottom end by a plug l6 (Fig. 3) which is solidly fixedin place by suitable means and is preferably formed of sufficientlyheavy material as to weight the bottom end of the casing. The plug l6terminates substantially below the bottom edge of the window 15, thus toprovide a space X (Figs. 1 and '2) between window edge and plug, whichserves both to receive the mercury bulb and also as a well to retainwater from the depth to which the thermometer is lowered. Obviously, inraising the thermometer, the temperature of the water trapped in saidwell will not change materially, so that an accurate reading of thewater temperature at the various levels to which the thermometer islowered may be obtained.

According to the invention, the scale I 3 to which the thermometer tubeis attached is of relatively stifi yetspringy material such as plasticsheeting. The width and length of the scale is carefully chosen so thatupon simple insertion thereof into the casing until the lower end edgethereof engages the plug IS, the thermometer and scale are properlypositioned with respect to the window 15. As respects its widthdimension, such is somewhat in excess of the internal diameter of thecasing whereby in inserting the scale into the casing it must be flexedor concaved about its longitudinal center line, as seen in Fig. 5. Thus,when the scale is so flexed and inserted into the casing, it tends tospring backto its initial plane-form and thereby secures itselffrictionally against the inner surface of the casing. This tendency alsocauses the scale to lift slightly away from the inner respectivelysurface of the casing along its longitudinal center-line portion, so asto provide a cushioning effect for the thermometer and mercury bulb,whereby the latter are effectively cushioned against damage due toshocks and jars to which the casing is subjected.

According to a further feature of the invention, the casing is providedat both its upper and lower ends with means providing end notches on thecasing and which'serve in'pone oftheir functions as a means forconverting the casing to a reel or wind-up device for the line by whichthe thermometer is lowered and raised. This desirable result is obtainedby providing -each end of the casing with a pair of freely pivoted earsot which the bottom ears I"! and it are pivotallyconnected by a pivotpin l9 to..a; bladeor tip 20. which may be fixed in the bottom plug Hiso as to project from the bottom end of the plug: The. top end ears 22,23 are pivoted in similar manner tozaz la etor-r pr 'irpr ectin u ardlyr t upp r-endrQ-ht e; asin an l h nk; n iaz yrbefixed y secure to heasingt appronriat rm n as h nd It will be seen from Figs; 1 and 3 thatthe axes i:'t .1%. l l; 1.': t.n1 ow r.-- p v t pins: parall to eachother and are;moreoverdisposednormal toathe. nerapla e. o hew dowp ninwher by when; e; r ns; and lowerin s -.de c bed;a,it covers b5; th 1 1%.tively outer edges of which are adaptedjtqabut a ainshthe nd.- ed es;oi: e; casin upon; t

ears. be, awful y: preadgwhorebyr he u ward vars; s imited 1,. Mu. dees-shown so;v thatxtheyep i fin nooohstruc onal Qhst t onsas wuld.cansezthea ars; tc e omc o ls c. s aw ed bott m-1 ass; and: hei ikereferrin QSFigS. laan ,1theirc n s it h zup er ears 22113;; a; I ea h;provided; with an; aperture: .5 throu h which-the lino, 0. o d. 26; bywh ch he. therm meter-.- is-low red nd; aised Ina-yr b threaded; As:-seen in g; 1;, thaline may be thread dzthrough e:.unper: a apert r sfiband seouredzto; itself. above .the-earsso: asr o providanattachinglogp; t

Duringzneriods..: ofiznonr he; pper; and lower pairs. of; ears are sread: to. provid he thcrmometercasing Ll with: notcheduehdscon which athe lowerin 1 nd ra sin v line; mavbe woundaas illustrated infliig.v 4;to provide amompact sampling thermometer;and suspeh ion; inc package:wherein the; thermometer tllbfigiS; tectedsbmthgiine;wound on the casingand w h coverstheswindowiw thereof. When it is sired todetermine-watertemperature, at;any-;pa;r ticnla r depth, the; line; is: unwound from;sept -S: ing: and: the. thermometerrlowered;to a; depth at whicha=,.temperature-, reading-- is; desired: To facilitate this-operation.the; line; may: be provide with. unit-.ofelength. markings along; its;length whereby. thedepthto which thathermometen is loweredgnaybe simply.established...

;'As=.,the tthermometer, begins; to; lower; th,, i,p u11 oi the-dine onthe. w en ars; 2 auseshe samezto swin w rthy; othe -r los d; positionillll t x nlifii a; bi -Whichheup e t r ar .s th.in 1163331 1 15 eotionf h has: nst. Th -da s l, m-rem n-i their sp d os on; during; low rinnd, t, h y

strikethe ttozmproy eyatw -poi t,suppor or the thermometer. If eitherbottom ear strikes a submerged rock or similar obstruction duringlowering or if accidentally dragged along the bottom, it is pushed toits closed position, as illustrated by the lefthand bottom ear shown inFig. 3, in which it tends in assisting the thermometer to ride off orover the rock without damage and without the ears becoming snagged.

Without further analysis it will be seen that the sampling thermometerof thisgi lvention attains the desirable objectives hereinbefore setforth. Its design and construction are exceedingly simple, so that itmay be inexpensively manufactured, i while at the same time being ruggedand thoroughly practical in use. The cars providedatzthe upper and lowerends of the casing are-oi. advantage in converting the casing to awind-up device for the line by which the thermometer is lowered andraised as required in obtaining a temperature reading. When the line iswound on, thescasing: as illustrated in Fig l; it covers; the; window,l-5 ,,thus protecting theather rnometer--tube. 12; against; breakagewhenthe de v cethrownnto -o ,=kepti in afishing ac lemx with tools andother; hard objects; The bottom ar n part cu ars a of further:advantage-1m prot ct ng; e h rmometer against: hocko ama likely to. be.-nourre z: n he. 171M311?- momete st kihea submerged-r ck orsimilariotru9t n-.. Sa dfiars remoreov r. so :shap 'd. at h y endoreduc he po siblity of the, h r:- mom tettb in uled injwate z r s As many changes ud.:b w iadevincarrying o he: abe a c ns uct-ions; ithout depart n r m.he.--.scope--. i hee-inven i ttsintcnded- 1 tt rc ntaihedinzth ra v decr pt on. n th .a compan n drawi as she be a lustrati a d. ot: 1n,;linhtma mometer ca ing;provi edp ee bleq arstat ea end: hereof o holin a ow in nd ;l$. ;1 1fle wound about. nd; ndwis -v-o ta i asin arampli g erm met r adap d ome owered. vtowaryina depths in a. iquid; trier:- mom te as ng-{p o ded th-sp e fiab e cars t: achven c her of,for, oldinaa w ing andr m g n wounda outan -,endwise-,-o i oa 2 s id ars1 b in shaped: to brov e otched; ends .11 sa casing,

, In. a ampl ng he momet r. da tetizato a B: owere o, vary ng-5' depthn, l qu d, a h nmoniet r. a in a air: o ears 'nivotedi tot-each en aid.asing, said; ars. ein movable- 1a e Ff-i .-y twa dly i aid s n o.rovide.- not hed endsfor.- ho din a .-1ow n a d ra s n line wound aboutand endwiseoisaidcasingg -..In a. mp n v thermome r ada ted .tooweredto. vary ng. de thsg ma 1iqui ,,a then..- momet i a ing anair 01.a s piv ted o. ach f d; a a aic l. a sbein mov it. laterally outwardlyof; said casing to prov de notched ends for holdinga lowering andraising line wound; about andendwiseofsaid casing; and said ears-of-apair beingmovable towardspneanother to lie substantially withinthe-secti'onpf said casing;

5. In a sampling-thermometenadapted to be lowered: to 1 varyingdepthshinz a liquid, a .thermometen casin prov ded w h; p r f": r id: osa d; as n saidsearabee .ly;o ward1y from said-fleas:

ing to provide notched ends for holding a lowering and raising linewound about and endwise of said casing, the line being attached to onepair of ears in such manner that a pull thereon will move said earsinwardly towards each other.

6. In a sampling thermometer adapted to be lowered to varying depths ina liquid, a thermometer casing provided with a pair of cars pivoted toeach end of said casing, said ears being movable laterally outwardlyfrom said casing to provide notched ends thereon for holding a loweringand raising line wound about and endwise of said casing, the line beingattached to one pair of ears in such manner that a pull thereon willmove said ears inwardly towards each other, the-ears of the other pairbeing normally spread in use but being movable towards one another uponengaging an obstruction.

7. In a sampling thermometer adapted to be lowered to varying depths ina liquid, a tubular thermometer casing, a plug closing the lower end ofthe casing, a blade projecting axially from each of the casing ends, apair of cars for each blade pivotally connected at their one ends totheir respective blade for movement from a retracted to a spreadposition in which they form notches at the ends of the casing, the upperears being apertured at their free ends for attachment thereto of athermometer lowering and raising line, the upper and lower ears whenspread providing for winding of the line through the notches formedthereby at the ends of the casing and hence lengthwise of the casing.

8. In a sampling thermometer adapted to be lowered by varying depths ina liquid, a tubular thermometer casing, a plug closing the lower end ofthe casing, a blade projecting axially from each of the casing ends, apair of cars for each blade pivotally connected at their one ends totheir respective blade for movement from a retracted to a spreadposition in which they form notches at the ends of the casing, the upperears being apertured at their free ends for attachment thereto of athermometer lowering and raising line adapted to be wound lengthwise ofthe casing through said notches, said ears having thickened hubs, andthe edges of said hubs engaging against the ends of the casing when theears are spread outwardly, thereby to limit the spreading movement ofthe ears.

9. In a sampling thermometer adapted to be lowered to varying depths ina liquid, a thermometer casing mounting a thermometer therein, thecasing having an elongated window intermediate its ends through whichthe thermometer may be viewed, upper and lower pairs of ears pivotallyconnected to the ends of the casing for spreading and retractingmovement about parallel axes which are disposed normal to the generalplane of the window opening, the ears of the upper pair being aperturedat their free ends for attachment thereto of a lowering and raisingline, the ears of the pairs when spread apart providing notches at theends of the casing through which the line may be wound lengthwisethereon and in covering relation to the Window.

- CLIFFORD G. HARRIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,876,592 Beard Sept 13, 19321,947,592 Haller Feb. 20, 1934 2,184,472 Sand Dec. 26, 1939

